A wide variety of products can undergo a compression step during a manufacturing process of the product. Compression of the product can alter the dimensions of the product from its original starting dimensions and reduce those dimensions to render a product with final smaller dimensions. An example of a personal care product which can undergo a compression step in a manufacturing process is a tampon.
Tampons generally undergo a compression step during the manufacturing process in order to render a tampon having a size and dimension more suitable for insertion into the body of the user. The compression of a tampon blank can result in a tampon capable of being inserted digitally by the user's fingers or through the use of an applicator. A tampon is generally manufactured by folding, rolling, or stacking an absorbent structure made of loosely associated absorbent material into a tampon blank. The tampon blank can then be compressed into a tampon of the desired size and shape.
In use, tampons are designed to be inserted into a woman's vagina to intercept the fluid flow of menses, blood, and other body fluids and to prevent fluid from exiting the vagina. As body fluids contact the tampon they should be absorbed and retained by the absorbent material of the tampon. After a time period, the tampon and its retained fluid is removed and disposed.
A drawback often encountered with tampons is the tendency toward premature failure of the tampon. For example, in general, tampons are formed from a compression process that results in straight grooves within the tampon. Such straight grooves can provide a pathway for body fluids to propagate unimpeded from the insertion end to the withdrawal end of the tampon without being sufficiently absorbed by the tampon. The premature failure of the tampon can result in leakage of body fluid from the vagina while the tampon is in place and before the tampon is completely saturated with the body fluid.
There is a need to provide a tampon which can have an improved handling of body fluid. There is a need to provide a tampon in which at least a portion of the grooves are not straight such that any potential fluid path for body exudates is lengthened thereby providing increased retention time for the body fluid to be absorbed by the tampon. There is a need to provide a manufacturing process which can manufacture such a tampon.